also: こうりゅう
noun
dragon that has ascended to the heavens; person of immense wealth and power
Literary term from Chinese classics (see 亢龍有悔). Literally a dragon soaring too high, figuratively a person at the peak of power who risks downfall. Used in formal or literary contexts.
See also: 亢龍有悔
「亢龍有悔」とは、昇りつめた竜は悔いることになるという意味だ。
'Kouryuu yuukai' means that a dragon that has risen too high will come to regret it.
彼はまさに亢龍のごとき存在で、絶頂から転落する危うさをはらんでいる。
He is truly like a dragon at its zenith, carrying the danger of falling from the peak.
Variant with simplified 竜; less common but acceptable.
The full four-character idiom from the I Ching; 亢龍 is the subject of this phrase, emphasizing the regret that follows excessive ascent.
From Chinese 亢龍 (kànglóng), a term from the I Ching (Book of Changes) referring to a dragon that has flown too high and cannot descend, symbolizing overreach and impending downfall. The Japanese reading is on'yomi.